Potential For Molecular-Guided Surgery For Cancer Via New Endoscope Technology
With more than 15 million endoscope procedures done on patients each year in the U.S. alone, scientists reported evidence that a new version of these flexible instruments for diagnosing and treating disease shows promise for helping surgeons more completely remove cancerous tumors. Their report on technology that combines the endoscope with the phenomenon responsible for the eerie blue glow in the cooling water of nuclear reactors was part of the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world's largest scientific society. "The advance marries endoscopes to one of the newest and most exciting fields of medical imaging, " said Zhen Cheng, Ph.
Upon Implanting In Uterus, Embryonic Stem Cells Shift Metabolism In Cancer-Like Way
Shortly after a mouse embryo starts to form, some of its stem cells undergo a dramatic metabolic shift to enter the next stage of development, Seattle researchers report. These stem cells start using and producing energy like cancer cells. This discovery is published in EMBO, the European Molecular Biology Organization journal. "These findings not only have implications for stem cell research and the study of how embryos grow and take shape, but also for cancer therapy, " said the senior author of the study, Dr. Hannele Ruohola-Baker, University of Washington professor of biochemistry. The study was collaborative among several research labs in Seattle.
Unhealthy Behaviors More Prevalent In Survivors Of Multiple Cancers, Study Shows
A study published by University of Kentucky researchers shows that survivors of multiple cancers report unhealthier behaviors post-diagnosis than control counterparts. Published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, the study recorded answers regarding health status and health behaviors from 404, 525 adults using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Participants who said they had never received a diagnosis of cancer from a health professional were considered controls, while those who answered "yes" were considered cancer survivors. Those who had received two or more cancer diagnoses were considered a survivor of multiple cancers. The study showed that survivors of multiple cancers reported a poorer physical and mental health status compared to survivors of a single cancer, who in turn reported a poorer overall health status relative to the control group.
Breast Cancer Screening And Better Treatment Saves Lives
A Dutch study to look at the effectiveness of breast cancer screening, shows that although treatments have also improved, population-based mammography initiatives still save lives. Mrs Rianne de Gelder, a PhD student and researcher at the Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), presented the research at the eighth European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-8) in Vienna, adding to the debate surrounding screenings, that suggests they might do more harm than good. There is a growing argument against national screening programs, with detractors saying that treatment for the disease is so effective nowadays, that the chances of surviving it are as good as if the tumor had been detected slightly earlier via a national screening program.
Two Cancer-Promoting Pathways Linked In Esophageal Cancer
Identification of a non-traditional pathway for spiriting a cancer-promoting protein into the cell nucleus points to a possible combination therapy for esophageal cancer and indicates a mechanism of resistance for new drugs that attack the Hedgehog pathway. A team of researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in the March 20 Cancer Cell that the mTOR molecular pathway promotes the activity of the Gli1 protein in esophageal cancer development and progression. "The Hedgehog pathway is the established, or canonical, pathway for activating Gli1. We've shown a clear-cut mechanism to link all non-canonical activation of Gli1 through a single pathway, TOR, " said senior author Mien-Chie Hung, Ph.
Resistance To Cancer Drugs In East Asians Explained By Genetic Variation
A multi-national research team led by scientists at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School has identified the reason why some patients fail to respond to some of the most successful cancer drugs. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs (TKIs) work effectively in most patients to fight certain blood cell cancers, such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC) with mutations in the EGFR gene. These precisely targeted drugs shut down molecular pathways that keep these cancers flourishing and include TKIs for treating CML, and the form of NSCLC with EGFR genetic mutations. Now the team at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore, working with the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Singapore General Hospital and the National Cancer Centre Singapore, has discovered that there is a common variation in the BIM gene in people of East Asian descent that contributes to some patients' failure to benefit from these tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs.
Joint Clinical Practice Guidelines On Hepatocellular Carcinoma Management To Be Published By EASL-EORTC
The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) today publish their first joint Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).(1) The EASL-EORTC guidelines define the use of surveillance, diagnosis and therapeutic strategies recommended for patients with HCC. HCC is the most common form of liver cancer, representing more than 90% of primary liver cancers and an increasing global health burden. It is estimated that, by 2020, the number of cases will reach 78, 000 in Europe (up from 65, 000 in 2008) and 27, 000 in the US (up from 21, 000 in 2008).
Viral Gene Therapy For The Future
Brain-tumor cells that are infected with a cancer-killing virus release a protein "alarm bell" that warns other tumor cells of the impending infection and enables them to mount a defense against the virus, according to a study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James). The infected tumor cells release a protein called CCN1 into the narrow space between cells where it initiates an antiviral response. The response limits the spread of the oncolytic virus through the tumor, reducing its ability to kill cancer cells and limiting the efficacy of the therapy.
Health Risks For Rural Californians From Nitrate In Drinking Water
One in 10 people living in California's most productive agricultural areas is at risk for harmful levels of nitrate contamination in their drinking water, according to a report released today by the University of California, Davis. The report was commissioned by the California State Water Resources Control Board. "Cleaning up nitrate in groundwater is a complex problem with no single solution, " said Jay Lund, director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and a report co-author. "This report should help inform discussions among people involved with drinking water, waste discharge, and agricultural issues, including various local and state government agencies.
Advanced-Stage Neuroblastoma Diagnosis Age Linked To Genetic Mutation
In children and young adults with advanced-stage neuroblastoma (a cancerous tumor that develops from nerve tissue), researchers have identified that certain variations of the gene ATRX are associated with age at diagnosis. The study is published in the March 14 issue of JAMA. In children, neuroblastoma is the most prevalent extracranial (outside the cranium) solid tumor. The disease is responsible for 15% of all cancer-related deaths in children. The researchers explain: "Half of the patients (50 percent) with neuroblastoma present with metastatic disease; with current treatment approaches, the age at diagnosis has proven to be one of the most powerful predictors of outcome.
